Again, while rehearsal dinners are not a requirement, many wedding planners suggest going through with the tradition. Interestingly, however, McFarland—who has been organizing ceremonies since 1986—recommends that couples take responsibility for arranging the venue, rather than a planner. Setting up a rehearsal dinner involves several steps. The couple must settle on a venue and select a menu that accounts for each guest’s dietary restrictions. If a wedding planner must go back and forth between the couple and a restaurant manager, it merely burdens the timeline and adds to the cost. “It takes the wedding planner out of the middle,” McFarland says. Yet she points out that the wedding planner can still be useful in providing direction. They know which venues have private rooms and how many guests can be accommodated, for example. They can tell the couple if a place is suitable for live music or fits the cozy mood they are looking for. McFarland starts by asking for meal preferences—seafood, Italian, burgers and fries, Korean, food truck, buffet, local and seasonal, prix fixe. The options are seemingly endless. She then inquires about the mood. Some couples want white tablecloth dining, others might be looking to dance. Simply put, there is no right or wrong way to throw a rehearsal dinner. There is only the matter of locating the right space. While hard and fast rules do not apply here, there are some guidelines for hosting an enjoyable rehearsal dinner. The experts suggest that the event should not be too elaborate. The wedding ceremony itself is the centerpiece of the weekend. The dinner is an DINNER 26 THE BEST OF MONTEREY BAY ® WEDDING GUIDE 2025-2026 Rental includes kitchen, ballroom, and studio, as well as full support from our friendly, helpful staff who are dedicated to making your special day a success! Learn more: bit.ly/SeasideRentals Dining Capacity: Soper Community Center - 85 Laguna Grande Hall - 225 Spectacularly Affordable Venues ✦ ✦ ✦ Soper Community Center & Laguna Grande Hall ✦ Receptions ✦ ✦ Quinceñeras ✦ ✦ Babyshowers ✦ ✦ Special Events ✦ 986 Hilby Ave, Seaside 831-899-6800 www.ci.seaside.ca.us city-seaside_1-3s_WG22_kb.indd 1 2/7/22 1:50 PM LIGHTING TO CREATE THE PERFECT AMBIENCE LED VIDEO WALL COLOR WASH UPLIGHTING CUSTOM MONOGRAM GOBO SPOTLIGHT STRING LIGHTING 495 ELDER AVE A, SAND CITY, CA 93955 FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (831) 583-0880 DJ & ENTERTAINMENT PACKAGES PREMIUM AUDIO VISUAL FOR ALL VENUE SIZES MOBILE DJ FOR ALL EVENTS AND OCCASIONS WEDDINGS DINNER PARTIES CORPORATE EVENTS AND MUCH MORE... OUR DJ’S & AUDIO SPECIALISTS PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY SOUND CREATING AN EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR EVENT LIGHTING TO CREATE THE PERFECT AMBIENCE LED VIDEO WALL COLOR WASH UPLIGHTING CUSTOM MONOGRAM GOBO SPOTLIGHT STRING LIGHTING 495 ELDER AVE A, SAND CITY, CA 93955 FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (831) 583-0880 DJ & ENTERTAINMENT PACKAGES PREMIUM AUDIO VISUAL FOR ALL VENUE SIZES MOBILE DJ FOR ALL EVENTS AND OCCASIONS WEDDINGS DINNER PARTIES CORPORATE EVENTS AND MUCH MORE... OUR DJ’S & AUDIO SPECIALISTS PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY SOUND CREATING AN EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR EVENT ZES NS SOUND YOUR EVENT AINMENT PACKAGES ENTS AND OCCASIONS LIGHTING TO CREATE THE PERFECT AMBIENCE LED VIDEO WALL COLOR WASH UPLIGHTING CUSTOM MONOGRAM GOBO SPOTLIGHT STRING LIGHTING 495 ELDER AVE A, SAND CITY, CA 93955 FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL (831) 583-0880 DJ & ENTERTAINMENT PACKAGES PREMIUM AUDIO VISUAL FOR ALL VENUE SIZES MOBILE DJ FOR ALL EVENTS AND OCCASIONS WEDDINGS DINNER PARTIES CORPORATE EVENTS AND MUCH MORE... OUR DJ’S & AUDIO SPECIALISTS PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY SOUND CREATING AN EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR EVENT Glastonbury_1-3s_WG25_KB.indd 1 2/27/25 11:50 AM
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